Deception Well

Remnants of an alien nanotechnology infest the surface of the planet, Deception Well, giving rise to deadly plagues that make the Well uninhabitable—or so most believe. Jupiter Apolinario saw it differently. He believed the planet was host to an ancient, alien mechanism of transformation meant to embrace all life forms in an ecstatic communion. Jupiter disappeared on the planet along with a handful of followers, though whether they were taken by death or transcendence, no one could say.

Ten years later, Jupiter’s son, Lot, stands at the center of conflict. Like his father, Lot has a seductive presence, and a charismatic nature that seems more-than-human. People are helplessly drawn to him. Their faith in him is strong and their numbers are growing, but Lot is beset with doubts about his father’s teachings. So he sets out to learn the truth about Jupiter, about his own powerful calling as a prophet, and about the real nature of Deception Well, where a razor-thin line divides bliss from damnation.

Enjoy all four books of the Nanotech Succession, a collection of stand-alone novels exploring the rise of nanotechnology and the strange and fascinating future that follows.

“…By the time the last piece is in place, other readers may feel, as I did, that this story of love coerced, lost and (possibly) redeemed could not be told to greater effect with any other method.”

–Gerald Jonas, New York Times Book Review

“…This payoff puts Deception Well firmly in the company of Stapledon, Benford, Bear, McAuley, and Niven…”

–Russell Letson, Locus Magazine

“…a complex yet fast-paced story set in a high-tech future filled with autonomous nanomachines, inscrutable alien intelligences, and of course, duplicitous humans. Watching how all the elements fit together is half the fun.”